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Conflict in Bristol as residents welcome plans to build tall

Stride Treglown has sparked a heated debate about the future of tall buildings in Bristol by unveiling controversial plans for a wave of skyscrapers across the city.

The firm, which was criticised for its 'vile' Tollgate House (AJ 26.8.04), has responded to a local survey on tall buildings by launching a proposal for four 25- to 32-storey towers.

A study by Bristol City Council found nearly 60 per cent of people wanted more towers in their city centre.

According to Martin Pease, a divisional director at Stride Treglown, it is only a matter of time before Bristol's skyline will resemble those of Birmingham and Leeds.

'This is a serious plan and not just a hypothesis, ' he said. 'It's about something that will happen and about making people aware there are sites that could take a building of this size.

'When you mention change people inherently think 'no'.

But if a building is done well it can become a talking point and can enhance the city rather than destroy it, ' Pease added.

However, a scheme to replace the Trenchard Street car park with a 25-storey residential skyscraper has already come in for criticism from the Bristol Civic Society.

Urban design group chairman Jerry Hicks said: 'The site is much too near the city centre for a tall building. Bristol has got a dense medieval core with dramatic church spires and the aggressive quality of a new climax would take away from the best features of the city.'

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The Architects' Journal is the voice of architecture in Britain. We sit at the heart of the debate about British architecture and British cities, and form opinions across the whole construction industry on design-related matters